Letter of Recommendation Tips for Success
Written by Neha Deo
Many students can experience anxiety when deciding who and when to ask for a letter of recommendation. Often, students may feel nervous approaching the subject, or feel like they have not spent enough time with the supervising physician to ask for one. Here are some guidelines and tips for asking for a letter of recommendation, as well as understanding the ERAS timeline.
Ask early and promptly. If you’ve just spent the last few weeks working with the attending, asking for a letter of recommendation after having a feedback meeting or asking soon after the rotation via email would be the best route. Don’t wait too long, because you risk the physician forgetting about the work that you did together in the clinic. Even if ERAS is months away, you can request that the physician store your letter in a folder until ERAS opens up and you can send the letter request.
Preparing a short “about me” package. This includes a CV with your research and volunteer experiences, a personal statement for the residency you’re applying to, and other small things that would help the physician get to know you. For me, writing poetry has been something that I’ve been working on during medical school, and so I like to show them some of my work.
Send reminders and a deadline. I like to remind my letter writers about the deadline and check in about 1 week before the suggested deadline that we agreed on. That way, it gives them time to write a letter in case they forgot, which is completely understandable with the busy schedules that attending physicians may have.
Let’s now talk about the timeline for letters in the context of ERAS.
A few months (~2-5) out from your ERAS submission date. This is where you would start to compile your list of letter writers, plan based on the programs and specialties that you’re applying to, and begin to send out requests to your letter writers. You can also meet with them to talk more about your goals and your values.
July-August of your ERAS submission date. This is when ERAS opens, so you can start to fill out information and requests for your letter writers to be sent electronically. They will have a personalized upload link available so that they can upload your letter.
September of your ERAS submission date. ERAS is now soon around the corner, and now is the time to give a gentle nudge to your letter writers reminding them of the deadline. Don’t feel like you’re annoying them! Many letter writers will appreciate the reminder and will provide an update on the letter-writing process as well.
7-14 Days before your ERAS submission date. It is time to assign your letters to the appropriate programs and double-checks your work. You want enough time to review your programs, assign each letter, and double-check to make sure that there are no mix-ups.
Submit and wait for the interviews to come in! Congratulations! Now it is just a waiting game to see who offers interviews and schedule interview dates.
